Tea party patrons, rejoice! Unite! Or for some of you, I suppose, to arms! Your grass-roots movement has gained such momentum as to warrant a national blue-ribbon, round-table, fact-finding, rootin' tootin' hoedown!

The first National Tea Party Convention is set for Feb. 4-6 at Nashville's Gaylord Opryland Hotel & Convention Center. For details, visit the Web site www.nationalteapartyconvention.com. Hurry, and get an early discount on registration: $558.95 (excluding hotel) to show up and protest excessive spending by the government.

Headline speakers will include the electrifying and eloquent Sarah Palin, a renowned expert on how to abandon your statewide elected office and make millions writing a book, and U.S. Rep. Michelle Bachmann, R-Minn., who used her publicly funded congressional Web site to urge people to storm the U.S. Capitol and create bedlam in the hallways. According to my investigative aides, the Tea Party Convention's Diversity Committee will meet in an Opryland Hotel & Convention Center broom closet.

No doubt, conventioneers will toast a glorious year for the Tea Party movement. Their impacts during 2009 on the American way of life include:

This was the year their crusade was born, and the screaming and kicking hasn't stopped yet. Whereas American town hall meetings for more than two centuries were places to exchange ideas and formulate solutions, now they're different, thanks to the Tea Party types. Now, town hall meetings have become boisterous, bigoted shout-downs where the only things that matter are volume and venom, unleashed by adults who remind children to be sure to behave at school assemblies.

Speaking of children, it used to be that, when a U.S. president spoke to schoolchildren about education, hard work and responsibility, we all got this warm, patriotic feeling. Parents would encourage children to listen closely, and prepare to discuss the president's message over supper that night. Now, many Americans believe that same harmless speech constitutes the socialistic brainwashing of our kids.

Deploring peace

Prior to 2009 (specifically in 1906, 1919 and 2002), when a U.S. president won a Nobel Peace Prize, Americans for the most part were proud and congratulatory. Hey, who are we to argue with the Norwegians? But now, when a president wins the Nobel Peace Prize, a large segment of Americans actually boo. Without attending any deliberations of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, and even before hearing the committee's explanation for why the president was honored, they boo.

For decades, when a U.S. president attended the Olympics for several days, we all sent him with our best wishes, to promote friendly competition as a universal bond. We took pride in watching him cheer for our athletes. But in 2009, when the president spent one day supporting a U.S. city's application to become an Olympics site, his detractors berated him for wasting time and taxpayers' money.

Before this year, when a U.S. city lost a bid for the Olympics, Americans for the most part figured, "Nice try. Better luck next time." Now, though, when that bid is denied, many Americans actually cheer and hoot derisively.

This year we increasingly heard, "I want my country back!" proclaimed by people who had difficulty accepting the will of the national electorate. Nothing wrong with that. We've heard "He's not my president!" during every presidency. Still, some Americans are quietly wondering: Wasn't "I want my country back!" also shouted by factory owners back when they had to relinquish their work force of underage children? By men who didn't want women to vote because they saw them as chattel? By whites who didn't want to share water fountains with blacks because they saw them as inferior?

More to the point, isn't "I want my country back!" often fulminated by the descendants of people who exterminated numerous Indian tribes and stole their country?

Looks like I'll skip the National Tea Party Convention in February. For some reason, I just can't figure out how folks could have much fun at an anger-mismanagement seminar.

John Laird is The Columbian's editorial page editor. His column of personal opinion appears each Sunday. Reach him at john.laird@columbian.com.

People with his mind set will never ever understand the conservative concern for the country. They are deaf and dumb to fly over country.

My wife and I were just about the first to pony up the bucks to attend the convention. From now until 2012 my money will be devoted to taking this country in a direction that is 180 degrees from the present course.

Now, town hall meetings have become boisterous, bigoted shout-downs where the only things that matter are volume and venom, unleashed by adults who remind children to be sure to behave at school assemblies

I’m betting this “pasture Pansy” hasn’t been anywhere near a town hall meeting.

You ever notice that the left never condemns HRC for giving up her senate seat, even though she PROMISED to serve out her term? And It isn't the fact Obama won the Peace Prize, it is the fact he ain't done jack to earn it but be black and a outright socialist. This guy is living in his own fantasy world. And I am willing to bet there isnt women in his fanatsy

9
posted on 11/29/2009 6:48:21 AM PST
by Yorlik803
(better to die on your feet than live on your knees.)

U.S. Rep. Michelle Bachmann, R-Minn., who used her publicly funded congressional Web site to urge people to storm the U.S. Capitol and create bedlam in the hallways.

You know, little Johnny here is right... How dare someone, especially a US congress-critter, actually encourage rabble to try to make their opinions known to their rulers in congress. We all know that everything good and clean and pure comes from our overlords in government, and the thought that some of the impure commoners might actually taint the sacred halls and offices of washington, DC with their presence is abhorrent.

Little johnny is right... "The People" as referred to in the Constitution of the United States simply aren't intelligent or good enough to know what they need. They should simply shut up and take what's given to them, including the news from our betters like little johnny, and be thankful that we have such a benevolent and loving government!

Mark

10
posted on 11/29/2009 6:52:52 AM PST
by MarkL
(Do I really look like a guy with a plan?)

used to be that, when a U.S. president spoke to schoolchildren about education, hard work and responsibility, we all got this warm, patriotic feeling. Parents would encourage children to listen closely, and prepare to discuss the president's message over supper that night. Now, many Americans believe that same harmless speech constitutes the socialistic brainwashing of our kids.

When a president spoke there wasn't a curriculum generated by the WH with such questions as "How can we help the president with global warming". This was pulled because of the outcry and Zero had to tone down his campaigning to the kiddies.

Prior to 2009 (specifically in 1906, 1919 and 2002), when a U.S. president won a Nobel Peace Prize, Americans for the most part were proud and congratulatory. Hey, who are we to argue with the Norwegians? But now, when a president wins the Nobel Peace Prize, a large segment of Americans actually boo. Without attending any deliberations of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, and even before hearing the committee's explanation for why the president was honored, they boo.

In the past a President was honored for something he did. TR for the Russo Japanese peace talks , Wilson for the League of Nations etc. The prior presidents held jobs before becoming president, the weren't honored for the first 12 DAYS OF BREATHING IN THE WH!!!!

This year we increasingly heard, "I want my country back!" proclaimed by people who had difficulty accepting the will of the national electorate. Nothing wrong with that. We've heard "He's not my president!" during every presidency.

It was especially shrill from the left for the past 8 years. Then we were told it was patriotic.

More to the point, isn't "I want my country back!" often fulminated by the descendants of people who exterminated numerous Indian tribes and stole their country?

It's also said by descendants of people who enslaved and exterminated Jews, Celts, Armenians etc all the way back through history. Does this leftist have a point?

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